Company History

Sklar Family: The Early Years

Patriarch, Sam SklarThe Sklar family’s long history in the oil and gas industry began with its patriarch, Sam Sklar, who was born in Wolochisker, Russia on August 12, 1890. He immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 10 and ultimately made his home in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Mr. Sam, as many knew him, bought, sold and traded scrap metal initially. He later sold oilfield pipe to oil and gas operators and participated in oil and gas prospects as an owner. Throughout his business activities in the early 1930s and through the 1950s, Mr. Sam conducted business in his own name and formed numerous companies, including Louisiana Iron and Supply Company, Sklar Oil Company and Sklar Producing Co., Inc.

Mr. Sam participated at times as an investor; he also traded pipe for interest in wells, particularly during the depression when operators were short on cash. On at least one occasion, he acquired a field for scrap value that was thought to be uneconomic due to low crude oil prices; he later realized a tremendous return on the production — not on the casing, tubing and pipe that originally inspired the purchase.

Mr. Sam was one of the original shareholders in and a director of Delta Drilling Company in 1931. Throughout the 1930s and ‘40s, Mr. Sam grew a diverse asset base — including his pipe and drilling companies, real estate, and oil and gas well investments. He was well known and highly regarded in the regional oil and gas community; in fact, mentioning the Sklar name to people in the oil business to this day will often result in colorful and affectionate stories about Mr. Sam.

Sklar Family: The Post War Years

Albert SklarAlbert Sklar became involved in the Sklar family business shortly after the death of his brother, Fred Sklar, in the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Under his able leadership, and later with leadership from his brother-in-law, Leonard Phillips, the Sklar family continued to thrive during the decades following World War II. Some of the original names of the companies founded by Mr. Sam were later changed to reflect ownership and management by the Sklar and Phillips families. The name of Louisiana Iron and Supply Company was changed to Sklar & Phillips, Inc. Albert Sklar served as President of Sklar & Phillips, Inc., and Sklar & Phillips Oil Co., the successor by name change to Sklar Producing Co., Inc. He also served as Managing Partner of Sklar Oil Company.

Sklar Family: The 1990’s And Beyond

Howard F. SklarHoward F. Sklar, the only son of Albert and Miriam Sklar, went to work for Sklar & Phillips Oil Co. in the early 1990s. After the death of his father, Albert, the Sklar and Phillips families separated and reorganized their businesses. Howard F. Sklar and his family founded the present day Sklar Exploration Company L.L.C.